PROJECT SUMMARY Rates of alcohol and illicit drug use (AIDU) among residents of distressed communities with concentrations of African Americans (DCAA- i.e., localities with high rates of poverty and crime) are similar to the general population. Yet AIDU has significantly higher consequences for residents in DCAAs (e.g., higher incarceration and HIV/HCV infection rates), who also have considerably less access to effective treatment of substance use disorders. This project continues to develop and test Community Wise, an innovative multi-level intervention created in partnership with service providers, DCAA residents, and individuals with histories of substance use disorders and incarceration, to reduce AIDU-related health inequalities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) was used to develop and pilot test Community Wise, achieving 75% intervention completion rates despite great participant challenges (e.g.,homelessness, AIDU, poverty). Note that substance use disorder intervention completion rates in the literature are much lower among populations with fewer challenges (often 30 to 40%). We believe this success is due to the CBPR model used to develop an intervention relevant to participants' needs. Community Wise addresses social determinants of health (e.g., stigma, poverty, lack of treatment access, housing, meaningful employment) and inequalities related to AIDU at the micro level (e.g., cognitive and behavioral processes), meso level (e.g., relationships with individuals and organizations) and macro level (e.g., political and cultural processes). Community Wise builds on critical consciousness theory which empowers individuals, organizations, and communities to address social determinants of health while changing individual behaviors (e.g., reducing AIDU). The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) will be used to optimize Community Wise. Using MOST we will identify the most efficient, scalable, and sustainable components of Community Wise to refine the intervention protocol, including only components that significantly reduce AIDU. The long- term goal of Community Wise is to reduce health inequalities related to AIDU between men with substance use disorders and a history of incarceration residing in DCAAs and the general population through an intervention that is congruent with DCAA world views and grounded in scientific and indigenous knowledge. Data from this study will yield an optimized Community Wise manual; enhanced methodological strategies to develop multi-component scalable interventions using MOST and CBPR; and a better understanding of applying critical consciousness theory to AIDU-related health inequalities.